“Is that a real dragon?”

Kang Soyeong asked, eyes sparkling, as she looked at Seong Hyunjae and Changeling. Changeling almost nodded reflexively, but instead responded with a semblance of dignity.

“Yes, a fairy dragon.”

“Aaaaah─ Mister Han is so lucky!”

‘I swear, every dragon I know loves Mister Han!’

Kang Soyeong shouted, full of envy.

“Can it grow bigger?”

“Ahp─ Yujin wouldn’t like that, so no. Not doing it. Not doing it, I said.”

Changeling could only take forms aside from her fairy dragon appearance if they belonged to the beings involved in her birth. If she turned into a massive dragon, it would be Diarma’s true form. Even if Han Yujin knew it was just the outer shell, he would inevitably find it uncomfortable. Besides, fairy dragons had no physical strength to begin with, so transforming into a large dragon would only be cumbersome.

Unaware of the specifics, Kang Soyeong tilted her head.

‘Why wouldn’t he like it?’

“Let’s do a quick live broadcast just to update the public and wrap it up.”

Evelyn, who had been on the phone, said. Her gaze moved from Changeling to Han Yuhyun, then to Chief Song Taewon. Finally, she looked again at Changeling and Seong Hyunjae before speaking.

“I’ll write a short script. Just memorize it and read it.”

“Understood. Hmm, alright.”

Changeling replied awkwardly. Though she looked identical, her behavior and expressions clearly set her apart.

“Your tone differs from the Guild Leader’s, but with a bit of practice, you’ll be fine. You already changed the way you talk overnight. As long as you don’t do anything too strange, people will let it slide.”

“That’s right. You can even call Mister Han ‘Dad’ if you want!”

“Soyeong.”

“No, I mean. But it sounds fun—it might work. Ah, it’s Hyunah unni calling. Unni! Yes, the Guild Leader’s house is totally blown apart! Completely blasted through! Mister Han is safe, though. I can’t say more, I’m a Sesung guild member.”

“Is that the Breaker Guild Leader? Tell her to come see for herself if she’s curious.”

“She said no because Evelyn unni is here.”

Kang Soyeong slowly backed away, then leapt up the ruins in one jump. She often whined about being a fragile A-rank among S-ranks, but a high-rank Hunter was still a high-rank Hunter. With no effort, she soared over a chunk of concrete taller than herself.

“Need me to do anything?”

“Looks like getting Chief Song a new outfit is most urgent.”

Kang Soyeong glanced at Song Taewon and nodded with a muttered ‘Oh, seriously.’ Having directly faced Seong Hyunjae, there was barely a spot on him that wasn’t damaged. He’d even been buried under debris, leaving him absolutely filthy.

It wouldn’t do for a broadcast intended to calm the public.

“What about the Haeyeon Guild Leader…”

Receiving Kang Soyeong’s gaze, Han Yuhyun casually ignited a flame. A deep blue-black blaze enveloped him entirely, burning away the dust as if swallowing it whole. When the fire vanished, he looked as if he had just stepped out of his house. Aside from his slightly tousled hair, there wasn’t a single trace of battle. Kang Soyeong clapped, impressed.

“Then I just need to bring Chief Song a new outfit?”

“…Yes.”

Song Taewon hesitated slightly but nodded. He couldn’t appear on air in his current state, yet he couldn’t just leave to go get clothes from home either. Kang Soyeong lightly jumped over the rubble and disappeared while Song Taewon approached Han Yuhyun.

“It’s not broken, but it needs repairs.”

Song Taewon extended the Silence River longsword he had borrowed. Its blade, once bound by the Seeker’s Chain, had several chipped areas. Still, the blade itself remained intact. It wouldn’t have lasted if it had been only A-rank.

“The wire is about half intact. Regarding the charges for that─.”

“I said I wouldn’t hold you responsible.”

Han Yuhyun gave a short reply, accepted the sword, stored it in his inventory, and turned around. Then he approached Evelyn.

“When will the broadcast preparations be complete?”

“It won’t take long. More importantly, since your guild owes a favor, the negotiation for that takes priority. I’d also like you to sign a confidentiality agreement.”

“On the surface, we’ll say it was a cooperation effort to deal with an S-rank monster. To align our stories, let’s say we came together to discuss the rights to a Japanese dungeon along with Director Han Yujin.”

“Okay. Given the contractual issue, if we say Chief Song Taewon accompanied you, it’ll sound plausible. Then, a monster appeared at the Guild Leader’s residence and was safely subdued. That’s the story we’ll go with. I’ll adjust the rights ratio slightly in exchange. Do you have any other compensation requests? Ah, and I’m aware of the Root Fruit in the dungeon.”

She was implying she’d forgo part of her stake in the stamina potion, which wasn’t a minor concession. Yet Han Yuhyun showed no sign of satisfaction and wore a cold expression. He held out his hand toward Evelyn.

“I’ll contact Haeyeon, so lend me your phone.”

“Oh dear, electronics never survive around the Guild Leader.”

“It’s physical damage.”

Han Yuhyun took the phone and contacted the Haeyeon Guild. Evelyn turned to Song Taewon.

“I assume your phone didn’t make it out either.”

Song Taewon answered with a small nod. He needed to contact the Awakener Management Office and the Association. There were countless other tasks awaiting him as well. Standing around blankly like this felt wasteful, yet Song Taewon couldn’t move, as if nailed in place.

His gaze dropped to the damp floor. Scattered shards of ice sparkled in the sunlight, slowly melting. He recalled the person who had been lying there. And the one who had tried to save him.

Song Taewon still couldn’t fully grasp the situation. All he knew was that Han Yujin had saved Seong Hyunjae. That simple fact, made up of only a few words, kept circling in his mind. He raised a hand and swept it over his face.

He felt more exhausted than ever before. As if his entire body were sinking into a thick, sticky swamp. Whether it was fortunate or not, he had no time to fall into deep thought.

“I trust you’ll keep the secret about my brother.”

Han Yuhyun had approached without notice and spoke to Song Taewon.

“I also don’t believe there’s any reason for his rank to change.”

“That’s…”

“It’s not something that’s easy to explain, is it?”

Han Yuhyun’s voice was firm. He seemed prepared to use his strength if necessary to prevent Han Yujin’s new abilities from being revealed and his rank from being adjusted. Although Han Yujin’s skill ranks were high, they didn’t offer direct assistance in dungeon raids, and his stats were still F-rank. As such, his official rank remained B-rank. The double sharing of attack skills was unknown, so his rank hadn’t changed.

However, if it became known that he could temporarily possess the abilities of an S-rank Hunter, he would be upgraded to at least A-rank. In addition, in Japan, it had been revealed he could use a support skill to double a Hunter’s stats, albeit under strict conditions. In truth, his rank should have already been re-evaluated.

“It’s better if he stays a mid-rank Hunter.”

Han Yuhyun emphasized again, handing over the phone. High-rank Hunters received various benefits from the state, but were also subjected to restrictions. In national crises caused by monsters, they could be forcibly mobilized. Special laws applied to those with power beyond standard limits, which would place a disadvantage on Han Yujin, who had F-rank stats in daily life.

On the other hand, the benefits of being a high-rank Hunter weren’t particularly advantageous for Han Yujin. Things like high-rank item auction rights and the ability to trade high-rank dungeon access were tailored for Hunters who actively raided dungeons. Raising his rank just for tax benefits came with more downsides.

“I’ll give you a definite answer after verifying the details.”

Song Taewon, indicating he wouldn’t say more, took the phone and called the Awakener Management Office. He tried to clear his mind and focus on the work piling up.

The broadcast regarding the monster incident at the Sesung Guild Leader’s residence was brief. Thanks to Evelyn’s help, Changeling managed to convincingly play the role of Seong Hyunjae. As soon as the live broadcast ended, Han Yuhyun handed the matter over to the Haeyeon Guild legal team and returned home. Changeling, on the other hand, was caught by Evelyn, who said there was more to do, and wore a miserable expression.

-Grrr!

Even before opening the door, a tense growl was heard, causing Han Yuhyun’s brow to furrow. The Flame Horned Lion, who didn’t care who came to the house as long as it wasn’t Han Yujin, was making noise right by the door. That could only mean something was wrong with Han Yujin.

Han Yuhyun quickly opened the door.

“Where’s my brother?”

-Grrmph.

Peace, who had been pacing near the gate, turned around the moment he saw Han Yuhyun. Without even removing his shoes, Han Yuhyun chased after him. He immediately saw Han Yujin lying sprawled on the couch. He was in the same miserable state as the last time they had met.

His clothes were torn in several places. Though his wounds had been treated, faint bloodstains still remained. He had likely collapsed right after entering the house, without doing anything else.

“Hyung!”

Was using the power of an S-rank Hunter such a burden? Han Yuhyun quickly checked Han Yujin’s condition. He was sleeping so deeply he couldn’t hear being called, but thankfully there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong. No sign of fever, and his breathing was steady. His complexion was fine too.

Han Yuhyun let out a long sigh of relief. Peace also, after observing Han Yuhyun’s reaction, seemed reassured and sat next to the couch like a guardian. Han Yuhyun took off his shoes and left them at the entrance, then extracted the still-intact SIM card from his broken phone and inserted it into a new device. Once the phone powered on, a flood of missed messages came through.

[Mister, are you okay?]

[Guild Leader broke his phone again?]

[I saw the broadcast, so you must be safe, Mister.]

[Mister, your phone’s still off. I’ll be home after dinner.]

[Take your medicine.]

[My phone, black—got a different color]

Han Yuhyun glanced through Park Yerim’s messages and replied.

[ㅇ] (“Yes” or affirmative shorthand)

Putting the phone down, he knelt in front of the couch where Han Yujin lay sleeping, and leaned in. He gently rubbed at the bloodstain still clinging to Han Yujin’s cheek with his finger. It had already dried and wouldn’t come off.

“It hurts when you keep getting hurt, hyung.”

It was even worse when it was because of someone else. Why did he feel the need to protect everyone like that? Han Yuhyun couldn’t understand. He only needed one person—no one else mattered. Even so, he tried to accept Han Yujin as he was, but it was never a pleasant feeling.

From inside Han Yuhyun’s sleeve, Iryn crawled out and, as if to comfort him, gently tapped his hand with his forepaws.

“…Still, you were with me until the very end.”

The idea that Han Yujin had returned from the future to the past didn’t register beyond simple comprehension. So that’s why there were so many questionable moments in his brother’s behavior. That was all there was to it.

What mattered was that Han Yuhyun had been by Han Yujin’s side, and Han Yujin had come back to him. Just recalling how his brother, who had returned from the past, embraced him and said he loved him brought a smile to his face. The faint anxiety lingering in his heart seemed to fade away.

They must have gotten along well. That’s why they were together at the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ very end, and why his brother came back to him.

Maybe they had reconciled safely and ended up living together in the same house again, just like now. Since the monster breeding skill didn’t exist, there likely hadn’t been a breeding facility. Then maybe the Haeyeon Guild house had become their home. If it had been just the two of them… that part, he was a bit envious of.

“I was scared we’d never make up again.”

Even though he believed he was doing the right thing, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. But it turned out well. In the end, it seemed like he’d done the right thing.

But Han Yuhyun still couldn’t understand why he had died leaving Han Yujin behind. Was it the five-year difference?

“You should wash up and change.”

Han Yuhyun gently touched his brother. He was practically like an ordinary person—he couldn’t just leave him like this. They say if you’re not clean, it’s easy to get sick. Especially during the changing seasons, it’s even more important to be careful.

“If you don’t wash up after going out, you’ll catch a cold. Hyung, are you really tired? I’ll take you to your room.”

Maybe he should at least wipe him down with a damp towel. Just then, Han Yujin’s closed eyes slowly opened. Han Yuhyun’s face lit up as he sat up.

“Let’s get you cleaned up before bed. …Hyung?”

“Uh…”

His black eyes blinked once. They wandered unfocused into empty space. When Han Yuhyun saw those eyes clearly failing to find him, he held his breath.

He can’t see. The moment he realized that, he was alarmed—but quickly calmed himself. It had happened once before, so he’d expected that his eyesight might deteriorate. He just hadn’t thought it would be completely gone. …Surely it wasn’t going to be permanent.

“Hyung! Look at me—can you not see me?”

Mm, even Yuhyun’s voice sounds really faint. His hearing seemed to be a bit off too. At least his voice was coming out fine.

“That’s, hmm, seems like that, but calm down.”

“Calm down?! How am I supposed to—!”

-Kkng, kiang.

Yuhyun’s shouting must have startled Peace too, who let out distressed noises beside them. Chirp and Belare also started freaking out.

“It’s just like last time—it’s temporary. Don’t worry. Besides, I’ve got the Teacher skill, remember? Peace, help Daddy out, would you?”

Where’s my Peace. As his hand fumbled around, Peace pressed his head into it. Judging by the hardness, it was definitely his head. When he used the Teacher skill on Peace, his surroundings came into view.

“Alright, I can see—ack!”

“Hyung!”

He could see again, but since the viewpoint was different, when he tried to get up abruptly, he slammed his leg into the table. Trying to play it cool just made him look even more ridiculous. Of all times, Grace was off, so it hurt a lot. Yuhyun hurriedly grabbed him and helped him back onto the sofa. Peace, don’t just stare at me—look after Yuhyun too.

“Hyung, seriously…”

He must be really mad, but Peace wouldn’t turn his head away from him. Ha-ha.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep